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What is the Personal Assistance service?
The purpose of Personal Assistance is to enable service users to actively participate in the community and to lead an independent, dignified, and fulfilling life.
The service is regulated by the Law on Social Protection of Republic of North Macedonia. The right to Personal Assistance is determined based on a professional assessment of functional abilities and the need for support, conducted by the competent Center for Social Work.
Personal Assistance is based on the individual needs of the service user, which is why the scope and content of the support may vary from person to person. The user has the right to participate in planning and organizing their own Assistance.
It is particularly important that the service is based on the choices, wishes, and lifestyle of the service user. Personal Assistance can be provided at home, in an educational institution, at the workplace, or in the community — in other words, wherever the user lives, studies, works, and functions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Questions and Answers about Personal Assistance
What are the costs of the service?
Personal Assistance, according to the Law on Social Protection of Republic of North Macedonia, is free of charge for the service user.
The person who has been approved for Personal Assistance continues to cover their own personal expenses, such as food, rent, transportation, and activity-related costs.
What if the service user needs more hours of Personal Assistance?
The scope of the service is determined by law and amounts to a maximum of 80 hours per month.
The number of hours cannot exceed this legal limit, nor can it be temporarily increased beyond 80 hours per month.
If the user’s needs change, a reassessment can be requested from the Center for Social Work, but the service can only be provided within the legally established maximum of 80 hours per month.
In the case of temporary absence of the personal assistant (e.g., illness), the licensed service provider ensures continuity of support within the approved number of hours.
How does Personal Assistance start?
Personal Assistance begins after the user receives a decision to use the service from the competent Center for Social Work with a determined number of hours up to the legal maximum
Then the user uses the service through a licensed social service provider who organizes the support according to the decision and the individual needs of the user
If the user does not have a personal assistant provided, we create an initial plan together for introducing the service. The service provider
- Prepares the necessary documentation including agreements and consents
- Carries out the selection and engagement of personal assistants
- Develops an implementation plan and schedule according to the needs and the approved number of hours
- Ensures coordination and continuity of the service
The start of the service depends on the administrative procedure, the availability of staff, and the needs or choice of the user, but the provider works to ensure the service begins as soon as possible
What happens when the Personal Assistance service is approved for you?
When a person with a disability is approved for the Personal Assistance service according to the Social Protection Law, the support they receive is adjusted according to their individual needs
There is no universal solution – each person receives support based on their functional condition, daily activities, and level of independence
The assessment is carried out by the Center for Social Work, which issues the decision to use the service. After the decision is made, a licensed social service provider provides a personal assistant
The number of hours and type of support depend on
- Need for assistance with personal care
- Movement and mobility
- Communication
- Participation in education, work, or community activities.
The purpose of personal assistance is for the individual to live as independently as possible and actively participate in society.
More about what personal assistance is and what it means
An important part of personal assistance is the core idea that support should be provided by a limited number of people, the so-called personal assistants. In accordance with the Law on Social Protection of the Republic of North Macedonia, the service user has significant influence over the selection of the personal assistant and the way the support is organized.
The service is not administered by the municipality, but is approved by a decision of the competent Center for Social Work and implemented through a licensed provider of social services.
We are a licensed provider of the personal assistance service and provide support in accordance with the legal regulations and the decisions issued by the competent institutions.
What does personal assistance mean?
Personal assistance is a community-based social service established by the Law on Social Protection and is intended for people with severe and permanent disabilities who need support to meet their basic life needs.
This may include:
- Assistance with personal hygiene
- Support with meals
- Assistance with activities related to health condition
- Communication with other people
- Support for injury prevention
- Continuous support due to health condition
A person can also be provided with personal assistance for other needs if they cannot be met in another way, such as:
- Meal preparation
- Participation in leisure activities
- Work activities
- Transfers and mobility
All of this aims to enable people with disabilities to live their lives independently, with dignity, and on an equal basis with other citizens.
What is required to receive personal assistance?
The personal assistance service aims to enable people with disabilities to actively participate in society and live independently. The service is tailored from person to person because it is based on an individual assessment of needs.
1. The right to personal assistance can be exercised by:
- People with visual impairments (blind individuals)
- People with physical disabilities
- People with combined disabilities, if the combined condition includes visual or physical impairment,
- Young people up to 26 years old, based on an assessment and recommendation according to the ICF.
2. The person must need support for basic life activities such as:
- Personal hygiene
- Communication
- Dressing and undressing
- Nutrition
- Movement and mobility
- Support due to medical condition
Additionally, the person can receive personal assistance for other needs that are not met in another way, such as cooking, leisure activities, work, or mobility.
3. Application for Personal Assistance
Individuals who need personal assistance submit a request to the competent Center for Social Work according to their place of residence.
The Center conducts a professional assessment of the needs and issues a decision that determines the entitlement to and the scope of the service.
The scope of personal assistance is determined by a decision and can amount to up to 80 hours per month, in accordance with the legal framework.
The service is then implemented through a licensed provider of social services.
